Hello,
a couple of weeks ago I purchased a 1961 Morris MK1 (Dream come true!!!). It's in pretty good condition, but everything needs to be restored.
I'm looking for some tips to get me started. I've never worked on a car before. My dad restored old Chevy's and I grew up around them, but didn't really pick up much.
For the past week I've been struggling just to find out where the Jacking points are. I think I've finally located them (thanks to a similar forum) but as each day goes on I feel more and more out of my depth.
My goal is to restore the Mini to its original condition. I don't want to do any modifications - except for what would have been optional to the original buyer at the time.
I don't know where or how to begin. I'm on the look out for an original parts list, but so far haven't found anything.
Does anyone have any advice on how I can find out what parts (mechanical and interior) were used on a 1961 Morris MK1?
Also, any suggestions on how to proceed would be appreciated. The car has a few spots of rust (nothing severe) that need seeing to (it's housed in a warm, dry garage), the fuel pump seems to have stopped working (the engine tries to turn over but doesn't catch and a ticking noise is coming from the rear), the compression test came back with a pretty good reading (all 4 cylinders are basically the same) although the engine wil have to be rebuilt at some point. The body needs to be resprayed, but I won't have the money for that for at least a year. The carpet was put in new a few years ago, but the seats need reupholstering.
I'd really appreciate any input anyone can offer. I'm keen to get working on it but also understand that this project will be a lesson in patience.
Welcome to the forum and congratulations on your purchase.
If you have never worked on Minis before, or any car really, I suppose it can be daunting at first.
Try and get hold of an early Haynes Manual for starters. I know some people take the mick out of them, but they are useful, especially for someone "starting out".
As for the jacking point on the sills I would only use them if the sills are in top condition, ie; not rusty.
Check to see if there's any petrol in the tank. The pump should stop ticking when there's enough fuel in the pipe/ carb.
There are plenty of guys on here who know the ins and outs of early Minis.
Excellent. Thanks for the suggestions.
I have picked up a Haynes manual as well as a Leyland Workshop Manual from repairmanualdownload.com (great source!)
I will try your suggestion about the fuel. The gage says the tank is 3/4 full so maybe ITS the problem
regarding jacking points: should I take your suggestion to mean that I should jack the car up via the subframe? If I do this (use a trolley jack on the rear and front subframe) do I put the jack centred between the tyres and prop either side with a stand? or should I put the jack close to a tyre, prop with a stand, and then jack up the other side?
I'm sure many are shocked at just how basic this question is - remember I did say that I'm a total novice
Why not post some pictures up in the 'Projects' section, we'd all like to see the car and help you put it back on the road, with regard to jacking on the subframes it's always a good idea to jack one side at a time, if you jack in the middle of the rear subframe trailing edge you could damage it.
sounds like a nice project, and maybe not as bad as you think
Regarding the fuelpump, do as InimiaD wrote, becourse the ticking means the pump is trying to fill your carburator,
so either is the tank empty, or blocked ? or your float needle is stuck, in open position?
this is easy to find out? if the car smells of gasoline? the float is stuck.
If the pump is ticking, and the car dont smell of gasoline, then put some gas on, and see if it fills the carb? if not, can you sometime "jumpstart" the pump, take off the fuel hose on the carburator, remove the fuelcap, turn ignition on, and put your lips on to the filler neck, and blow into the tank, but remember to have a person standing in the front to see if the gasoline is coming.
Once you got fuel in the carb, you just need to see if there is spark?
First, welcome to the forum & I am glad you managed to get your logging in issue sorted.
As has already been said, starting your first car can be very daunting, the best way to start is to have a long hard think about what you actually want to do. This will of course depend on a number of factors, some decided by you others dictated by the car. Some of the things that are worth thinking about are;
Do you want to do a rolling restoration or a full body job? I would strongly suggest that as this is your first car you do your best to keep it / get it going asap & work on parts / systems one at a time. The danger with a "full" resto is that you will strip the car with little idea of what stuff is & how it goes together & end up with a big mess that is just way too daunting to even contemplate getting going again.
Don't worry! If you try to forget that you have a full car to work on, and look at each system as an individual unit it makes the job much easier to digest. I would try something like checking & repairing the hydraulic system first. This is not too difficult, but is a big step when its sorted. Check all the break pipes, replacing them where necessary, remove all the brake drums, clean & adjust them, replacing the seals or hydraulic cylinders as or if required. Get it all checked through re filled & tick it off the list. Then see if you can get it running, once again checking each individual part, repairing, restoring or replacing stuff as needed.
Leave the harder stuff for later! Don't start on difficult stuff that involves a lot of work or potential expense, leave these jobs until you have a bit of experience & confidence, you will be surprised how quickly this develops.
Don't be afraid to ask, there isn't such a thing as a stupid question! If you don't know the answer, ask someone who does. If your dad has restored cars in the past he will know the answer to many general questions regarding how systems work & what does what. If he doesn't ask here or on another forum that isn't populated by people who will give advice on stuff they have no idea about. You will usually find that people (especially your Dad) will be very happy to help.
Be Safe. Always err on the side of caution! Wear protective eye wear when scrubbing stuff off, hammering, scraping or cutting & wear ear defenders when grinding, drilling or hammering. When you are young you don't give a toss about a bit of muck or loud noises, but take it from me (mid 40's) and other members with a few years under their belts. We would have worn ear & eye protection if we knew what it was like injuring our eyes or going deaf when we started!!!!! The first thing you should buy is a pair or preferably 4 good quality axle stands, with these you can jack your car up & mount it on the stands safely & securely. There are 2 flat areas on the front & back subframes that are ideal for this. NEVER go under a car that is on a jack!
You don't need a parts list yet! Parts lists come up from time to time on ebay, you will find that there are 2 books Body & Mechanical, these are usually in the region of £25 a piece. Rather than blow £50 on these now, just ask on here what's what, I reckon that this is probably £50 that could be better spent at the moment.
Get it working & worry about the detail stuff later! If you work through the various areas & jobs that will inevitably need doing to get the car working, starting, stopping, lights etc. You will build up a lot of confidence & experience. Once you have got the car to this stage you can start worrying about the more specialised jobs that may need doing. If the car needs any panels replacing, welding repairs or paint I would STRONGLY suggest that unless you have a friend or relative who is experienced in this sort of work you leave it to a pro. It costs money, but welding or painting your first car from scratch is NOT something that you will find easy & it could potentially be very dangerous.
FINALLY & MOST IMPORTANTLY OF ALL! ENJOY WHAT YOU ARE DOING. As you begin to understand how things work & learn to strip them, understand them & fix them you will get a great deal of satisfaction & you will be amazed how fast your confidence builds up. Finally, finally if you get pissed off with it, shut the garage door & go & do something else for a while. Problems never look as bad after a break!
I hope to see some pics soon when we can probably give a bit more specific advice.
hi Merf, welcome to the forum, if you mention where you are based you never know who on here may be local to you that could give you a few pointers in the flesh.
Here is a link that gives you a basic idea parts wise without having to spend on the full on parts books, but only use it as a guide!! http://www.heritagegarage.com/-/ just click online catalogue. Gray
Mark, thanks so much for the detailed advice, you've given me some much needed confidence. I know I'm going to love this journey!
Gray and all others: I'm based in Sidcup - Kent, which is really more South East London. I'd be happy to meet up with anyone in the area that wants to talk Mini.
I haven't been successful attaching pictures yet, this is another something I am going to have to master.
Thanks to every one who has provided in put. It's all VERY useful and welcome
I wish you the very best of luck, it sounds like you have the basics of a very good Mini & you obviously know the main points to look for, 4 equal compressions is a very good start. It would be wise to check your ignition, I normally do this with a strobe timing light, if you get nice bright flashes when the engine is turned over, it proves your coil etc is ok, but it is always wise to take a look at the ignition timing. For jacking the car, as said previously, a trolley jack & axle stands are essential & there are some very compact jacks available today, which can easily be carried in the boot in case of suffering a puncture or other wheel related problem. If there's little rust, you can probably make the bodywork look quite tidy without a full respray for the time being, I look forward to hearing more about your project.
It was out of fuel!! :$
so the pump is okay but the gage isn't working properly. I put some fuel in today and it started pretty much right away but then it stalled and I haven't been able to get it to start again. I think maybe the battery is too low after all this messing around so now I'm trying to borrow a charger. ... Fingers crossed that's all THIS problem is.
Thanks again to everyone who has provided input!! Pictures will follow I promise
if you have problems to restart it, after you charge the battery? -
- then it could be that the pump picked up some dirt from the fuel tank? -
- so it has blocked the jet, in the carburator.
Welcome! I'm also a relative newcomer to restoring/working on cars, and my Mini is the first car I've restored too (still working on it!). You couldn't have picked an easier car - especially if you live in the UK (parts and advice is much more readily available.
I learned a lot and gained a lot of confidence in the initial teardown of the car. Just getting all the bits off (and discovering how straightforward *most* of the Mini is) gave me a lot of confidence. Getting it all back together has been a bit more frustrating, but equally satisfying.
Unless you have some money stashed away, I would steer clear of the full body restoration and at least get the car up and driving for a while. I drove mine for a year and made some minor repairs before I started into my restoration. I thought I would be done in 7-8 months, and its currently been a 1.5 years (although almost finished)!
This forum has been a godsend for the many dumb and not-so-dumb questions I've had. Joining a mini club is also very helpful if you have one nearby.
nice to hear.